Petey Menz ’11
News Editor

Seniors Harry Rappaport and Evan Gaumert shoot hoops. | Photo by Natasha Gabbay ’10

Every year, the female half of the senior class designs and makes its own t-shirts. This year, however, the senior boys are joining in with a jersey designed by Harry Rappaport ’10.

The front shows the word “Senior,” in block letters along with an arm holding a hammer. Underneath, it reads “do work.” The back says “legend X.” The jerseys cost $25 and are reversible; one side is blue, the other is white.

“The price is worth it because everyone loves them,” Rappaport said.

The meaning of the enigmatic phrase, “do work”, displayed on the jersey, is surprisingly simple.

“It just means do work, get stuff done,” Rappaport said.

The history of the jersey dates back to when Rappaport and his friends wore jerseys like this while playing rec basketball.

“We started wearing them on weekends too, and by the time we were seniors we just had the idea to make something out of this,” Rappaport said.

According to Mike Beispel ’10, Beispel had the initial idea to make these jerseys, but Rappaport actually got the jerseys made.

“We both had the idea but I did all the work. And when I say all the work, I mean all the work,” Rappaport said.

This process included first making a prototype design on www.customink.com and then going to Athletic Shoe Factory to get the final t-shirt made. Beispel described the process as relatively smooth but acknowledged one minor complication.

“There was a bit of a sizing issue because we had to switch different brands,” Beispel said. “Harry was scrambling to get the money in before finals.”

Unlike the senior girls, the boys are not planning to all wear their jerseys on the first day of school, though Rappaport believes they may wear them on Picture Day.

“I’m thinking wearing it to all sporting events,” Beispel said. “It’s reversible, it’s like you have two.”

This difference hammers home the fact that the girls’ shirts and the boys’ jerseys are not in competition.

“I think that the jerseys and shirts will bring our grade closer together,” Morgan Abbotts ’10 said, who oversaw the design of the senior girls shirts made.

In years past, there has been controversy over whether senior girls shirts intimidate freshman. Neither Beispel nor Rappaport believe this phenomenon would occur with the jerseys.

“I don’t think it will make the freshmen feel threatened,” Rappaport said. “They’re all going to look up to us.”

Beispel agreed, saying that the jerseys were mainly something for seniors and the freshmen would not be affected by them.

The popularity of the jerseys among the senior boys raises the inevitable question; will this become a tradition?

“The senior boys jerseys are great,” Rappaport said. “I think every grade should have them.”